About Legal Services of Central New York

Executive Director's Welcome

Welcome to Legal Services of Central New York, Inc. We are pleased that you stopped by and hope
you will find what you need. You will learn about us – what we do, who we serve, and where you might find
help for your civil legal problem. We are constantly exploring new ways to help those who have legal problems
but cannot afford a lawyer. We hope that we can reach more clients, either directly or thorough
community service providers.

Dennis Kaufman

Who Are We?

We are a non-profit law firm founded in 1966 to provide free, civil legal aid to
low-income families and individuals in thirteen counties of Central New York. We provide
our clients legal assistance with 40 lawyers and 14 support staff. We are governed by a Board of
Directors made up of attorneys, clients, and community representatives. We serve clients
residing in our core counties of Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis,
Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Otsego, and Oswego. Some of our projects cover more counties.

In 2004, Legal Services of Central New York, the Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, and
Legal Aid for Broome and Chenango Counties reorganized and formed the Justice Alliance of
Central New York. A major funding source had restricted funding for certain types of clients,
such as non-citizens and certain types of critical legal strategies, such as class actions.
Civil legal services in our region were reorganized in order to make sure that we could use the full array
of legal tools that lawyers have to properly represent people with significant legal needs.

Who Are Our Clients?

Our clients are familiar faces to all of us. They are our neighbors,
co-workers and friends. They are senior citizens, veterans, and disabled individuals
who turn to us in their time of need. They are families and individuals denied legal
protection because they cannot afford an attorney. In Central New York, about 265,000
people are financially eligible for legal services from the Justice Alliance. Many others
are eligible for our services because of the kind of legal problem they have. Each year
we work on cases which affect the lives of more than 17,000 people. Two-thirds of our
clients are women, often struggling to raise a family on their own; more than half of
our cases directly impact the lives of children.

What Do We Do?

The legal assistance we provide ensures our clients have those things many of us take
for granted. We represent people in court, at administrative hearings, before government
agencies and the legislature. We apply our resources and expertise to ensure our clients’
needs are addressed fairly and their voices heard. We address important local issues and
concerns, guiding our clients through complicated laws, helping them know and enforce their
rights. In short, we help stabilize the lives of people who have been marginalized, helping
them achieve dignity.

What Are Our Results?

Each year Legal Services of Central New York helps thousands of low-income families and individuals secure
not only the necessities of life, but human dignity. By restoring individuals and families
to productive, independent, and healthier lives, the entire community benefits.

Who Can We Represent?

Because of our funding, Legal Services of Central New York generally represents low-income families and individuals
and people with disabilities or problems related to their disability. We represent residents
of Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida,
Onondaga, Oswego, and Otsego Counties. Through other disability grants, Legal Services of Central New York also serves
clients in Chemung, Schuyler, Tioga, and Tompkins counties. Several of our grants cover most of the state.

Our work is supported by 12 grants from the State of New York and other sources.
In this time of reduced governmental funding, we are constantly searching for new ways to
fund services. Legal Services of Central New York receives funding from the New York Interest on Lawyer Account Fund (IOLA),
the New York Department of Health, the New York Unified Court System, and the state legislature. Legal Services of Central New York engages in
state and federal court litigation, including class actions, legislative advocacy at the state
and local level, administrative rulemaking, representation of community-based organizations,
community legal education, and transactional representation. Legal Services of Central New York’s work benefits thousands of people each year.

Why Free Legal Services?

Low-income New Yorkers generally experience more than two serious civil legal problems each year.
These legal problems often affect families' and individuals' basic needs – food, shelter, medical care,
safety, and family stability. When such problems are experienced and not addressed, their disruptive force
affects the ability of people to work and live productively and independently. These destabilizing factors contribute to
the cycle of poverty. When low-income people in Central New York have civil legal problems, they can turn to us.